1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to second seat assemblies which are to be removably mounted in conjunction with the rear fender of a motorcycle located behind the operator seat of the motorcycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, many different types of motorcycle accessories can be attached and detached from a motorcycle for the purpose of changing the functionality of the motorcycle. Motorcycles are generally manufactured with a single operator seat. Such a motorcycle is not designed to carry a passenger. To overcome this deficiency, there have been designed operator seats which includes an aft extension on which a passenger may sit.
Owners of motorcycles are generally very concerned about the look of the motorcycle. A motorcycle that has a passenger seat has a somewhat different look than a motorcycle without a passenger seat. A motorcycle operator may only carry a passenger a small percentage of the time when the motorcycle is operated. Therefore, that operator will not normally want the motorcycle to have xe2x80x9cthe lookxe2x80x9d of including the second seat one hundred percent of the time when the motorcycle is only used to carry a passenger infrequently.
In the past, one way to compensate for this problem was to have a second seat for the motorcycle that could be attached and detached relative to the motorcycle. Traditionally, the most common ways to attach and detach a second seat to the motorcycle was to bolt, screw or otherwise permanently attach the second seat to attachment points on the motorcycle. Therefore, in order to mount the second seat on the motorcycle, the operator of the motorcycle would have to use a wrench, screwdriver or other similar tool to achieve the attachment and detachment of the second seat. One of the problems with this arrangement is that the necessary tools may not be readily available to the operator of the motorcycle, such as when he or she is touring on the open road. Additionally, the attachment and detachment can be particularly time consuming particularly if the attachment points for the second seat are located behind or underneath a fender strut or under a seat or at some other inaccessible location. Additionally, the mounting hardware for the second seat might possibly be easily lost or misplaced.
Further, the including of appropriate attachment points in conjunction with the motorcycle generally involves the producing of protruding bolts or the producing of screw holes. Both modifications to the motorcycle deter from the overall look of the motorcycle. Owners of the motorcycle find the producing of such modifications to be undesirable. The producing of a second seat that can be attached and detached to a motorcycle without the use of tools is a desirable feature. However, even more desirable is that when the second seat is removed from the motorcycle, the motorcycle can have precisely the same look as a motorcycle that has no provision for mounting a second seat. There are no protruding bolts or screw holes formed anywhere on the motorcycle that are readily observable. One of the primary objectives of the present invention is to produce a way for mounting of the second seat in conjunction with a motorcycle where the structure that is used for the mounting is not observable when the second seat is not used.
The first basic embodiment of the present invention is directly related to a second seat for a motorcycle which is to be mounted in conjunction with the fender strut located alongside of a fender of a motorcycle. The fender strut includes a forward recess and an aft recess formed within an upper surface of the fender strut so each recess is not observable from a side location. A second seat has a pair of first hook members and a pair of second hook members. The first hook members are adjustable in position. A single second hook member is to engage with a single forward recess and a single first hook member is to engage with a single aft recess. The second seat is then locked to the fender strut by the engagement with the hook members.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the first hook members being adjustable longitudinally in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second seat.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the first hook members being spring biased constantly toward a locking position.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by there being mounted a first locking pin in each aft recess with each first hook member to engage with a first locking pin when the second seat is mounted on the motorcycle.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the including within each forward recess a second locking pin and a binding pin. A second hook member is to be tightly captured between a second locking pin and a binding pin when the second seat is mounted on the motorcycle. This tightly capturing position eliminates vibrationally caused movement of the second seat and noise emitted therefrom.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the binding pin being constructed of a nylon material.
A second basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a second seat assembly for a motorcycle where the motorcycle has a fender strut which is located on each side of a fender. Each fender strut is defined as having a forward recess and an aft recess formed within an upper surface of the fender strut. Each aft recess includes a first locking pin. Each forward recess includes a second locking pin and a binding pin. There are hook members that are mounted on the second seat which are to engage respectively with each recess and with the locking pins.
A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by there being a second hook member for each aft recess.